


Testing

by mistrali



Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Forum: Goldenlake, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-05 09:11:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1092155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistrali/pseuds/mistrali
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for imaginemi for the Goldenlake Wishing Tree 2013.</p><p>The bit about Tris's weather magic running in her family came from darkakane's post in this thread: http://fiefgoldenlake.proboards.com/thread/47133/academic-ambient-magic-winding-circle</p><p>TW for ableism wrt mental illness.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Testing

**Author's Note:**

> Written for imaginemi for the Goldenlake Wishing Tree 2013.
> 
> The bit about Tris's weather magic running in her family came from darkakane's post in this thread: http://fiefgoldenlake.proboards.com/thread/47133/academic-ambient-magic-winding-circle
> 
> TW for ableism wrt mental illness.

Darra Chandler shifted on her best silk cushions and waited for the mage to speak. She only just stopped herself from gnawing on her nails, hard-bitten from months of stress. Valden sat perfectly still beside her, gripping her hand, his face taut with some unreadable emotion. The sunlight flickered, the horses' hooves clattered outside, the kettle steamed, and at last the mage-tester appeared to come out of some reverie.

"Well, Master Chandler, Mistress Chandler, she's no mage as far as I can see," he said slowly, giving Darra and Valden a searching look. "Yet you say this happens each time she is angry. She hears voices, does she not? Is there any history of... such behaviour in your family?"

"What are you saying, Master Silverfern?" asked Darra, nettled. She thanked Mila that Tris had chosen to go quietly upstairs when he had finished his testing: Darra could not have borne reproachful stares from those grey eyes which so resembled her husband's - still less a tantrum, which meant storms or worse.

Silverfern looked her in the eye. "This is beyond my skill to divine," he said evenly. "I am suggesting you invest in a mind-healer, if you will forgive my saying so, Mistress, or an excellent curse-breaker. Good day." 

After she had parted with a gold astrel - half a day's income for thirty minutes of work! - and the mage had taken his leave, Darra clung to her husband and stifled a sob. How could such a child have come from her and Valden? To have spent a fortune on testers and mages who were renowned to eradicate curses... they might as well pay for a mind healer, too, to come and tell them nothing ailed her. "Snow in Seed Moon," she said into Valden's hair. "Gods, Valden. I'm beginning to think our house is..." Four years ago, before Tris was born, her husband might have joked about having married into a house which was cursed with no sense of humour and a penchant for gossip. Now he only shook his head and muttered something about House Chandler having too many enemies for its own good.

 


End file.
